Artist v. Artist Over Rose Museum

We’re a little late picking up this story. But thanks to the New York Times, we’ve seen this fascinating Geoff Edgers piece on the conflict between Eric Fischl, Bill Viola and April Gornik, on one side, who have withdrawn from a show, “Atmospheric Condistions” at Brandeis’s Rose Museum until there’s a legal agreement not to sell the museum’s art and James Rosenquist, who thinks the museum needs to be supported to protect the art:

“Frankly, I had thought the whole controversy had been resolved and that the collection was safe and not in danger of being sold,’’ Gornik said this week. “I didn’t realize there was so much possibility of it being sold. We’ve been very encouraged that the president of the university apparently stated that he doesn’t intend to sell the collection, but without some sort of legally binding evidence, we’ve decided to postpone the show.’’

“That’s a knee-jerk reaction from them,’’ he said by phone from his Florida studio. “I’m having a show there that will put a spotlight on the museum, and maybe they won’t sell anything. I’d rather do that than be negative and pull out and let it dry up.’’

In place of “Atmospheric Conditions,’’ the Rose plans a September show by James Rosenquist, a famed pop artist who has a long relationship with the Rose.

Rosenquist called the idea of selling art from the Rose’s collection “horrible,’’ and he spoke at a $250-a-ticket event at New York’s Pace Gallery this summer to raise money for the lawsuit. But he disagrees with the tactics of Viola, Gornik, and Fischl.